'There’s maybe not one player that is as important to a team anywhere in the country as Maurice was to us'

Share

Shares

Copy Link

{copyShortcut} to copy
Link copied!

Updated: 6:37 PM CST Jan 18, 2017

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

WEBVTT >> IT IS BAD FOR MAURICE.IT IS BAD FOR CREIGHTON AND COLLEGE BASKETBALL AND I THINK THAT'S THE ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT THAT THIS LITTLE GUY HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON YOUR GAME PEOPLE REALLY APPRECIATE.>> I REALLY HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO BE SAD OR LET IT SINK IN BECAUSEOF -- IT HAS SUNK IN BUT I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LET IT AFFECT ME BECAUSE EVERYONE SEEMSSO DEVASTATED FOR ME THAT IT IS NOT ALLOWING METO.>> CREIGHTON STAR MAURICE WATSON, JR., ON A SEASON ENDING KNEE INJURY HE SUFFERED MONDAY AT XAVIER.HE WILL NEED SURGERY TO REPAIR HIS TORN ACL.THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT HELPS HIM STAY POSITIVE AND HE MUST CONTINUE TO DO THAT TO LEAD HIS TEAM, EVEN IF IT IS NOT FROM THEBENCH.>> TO NOT BE ABLE TO FINISH IT PLAYING IT, IT SUCKS.CAN'T REALLY GET AROUND THAT.BUT IT IS GOING TO BE WORSE IF ILET MY MENTAL GO AND SLIP.IT WILL BE LIKE A DOCUMENT NO EFFECT AND I DON'T WANT THAT.I WANT MY GUYS TO KNOW I'M STILLHERE FOR THEM.>> YOU HAVE A VISION IN YOUR MIND OF HOW SOMETHING IS GOING TO END.AND, YOU KNOW, FOR MAURICE AND II WAS HOPING IT WAS GOING TO BE DEEP INTO AN NCAA TOURNAMENT RETURN.ACCOMPLISHING SOME THINGS WE HAVE NEVER ACCOMPLISHED BEFORE AS AN INSTITUTION.NOW, WE CAN STILL DO THAT AS A PROGRAM, HE JUST WON'T BE ON THEFLOOR.AND THAT REALLY STINKS.>> CERTAINLY DOES.GREG McDERMOTT HAS NOT NAMED A STARTER TO REPLACE WATSON IN THESTARTING LINE-UP.A FRESHMAN IS AN OPTION.NINE POINTS IN 16 MINUTES AGAINST TRUMAN STATE.ISAIAH THE VETERAN CHOICE, SENIOR 38 CAREER STARTS FOR THE JAYS, SHOOTING 43% FROM THREE THIS SEASON OR A COMBINATION OF

Greg McDermott: 'There’s a lot of pride in that locker room'

'There’s maybe not one player that is as important to a team anywhere in the country as Maurice was to us'

The seventh-year Creighton head coach and Maurice Watson Jr., his All-American candidate, his floor general, addressed the media one day after an MRI confirmed the worst: The 23-year-old point guard tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. The Philadelphia native's collegiate career is over.

Advertisement

Suddenly, the Bluejays’ program-record 18-1 start to the season, the school-high No. 7 ranking in this week’s Associated Press poll, was flambeed for all of Omaha and the country to see. “We wouldn’t be sitting in the position we are today without his input,” McDermott astutely noted. That wasn't lost on media both local and national. Writers for Fox Sports and the Omaha World-Herald posited that Creighton’s chances of reaching the Final Four ended the moment the news hit the wire.

This swift reaction wasn't surprising to McDermott, the man who convinced Watson to move more than 1,400 miles to attend Creighton.

“I think it’s natural, human nature to have that response,” McDermott said. “He’s responsible for 35 points a game, between his assists and his scoring. And that’s only part of his value. So, I understand why people think that. He’s a big part. There’s maybe not one player that is as important to a team anywhere in the country as Maurice was to us.

"But that doesn’t mean we still can’t win games.”

Citing the pride and depth of his locker room, McDermott said the team would honor Watson throughout the remainder of the regular season, acknowledging that he hadn’t given Saturday’s matchup against Marquette much thought, nor would he name his replacement at point guard, which likely will be Isaiah Zierden or Davion Mintz. “Obviously there will be some changes in what we do offensively,” he added.

Watson appeared calmly optimistic in a grey hooded sweatshirt. “I want my guys to know I’m still here for them,” he said with confidence. “When your back’s against the wall, the best thing you can do is respond.”

Surgery will come after two to three weeks of work to strengthen his knee, Watson said. The injury will sideline him from critical pre-draft workouts with NBA franchises, almost certainly ending the possibility of him getting drafted. "All of his other dreams and aspirations can come true," McDermott said.

Since his arrival, Watson has been the unquestioned leader of the Creighton offense, deftly navigating around screens and into tough-to-reach areas of the floor before finding his teammates. He's the NCAA's active leader in career assists (801) and was leading the nation in the metric (8.4 per contest) when the injury occurred. Even with him only playing nine minutes in the win over Xavier, Watson leads the Bluejays in minutes played.

Despite only playing in 54 games, Watson finishes ninth in school history with 391 assists.